How to Identify Fraudulent Birth Certificates

Birth certificates indicate the citizenship of an individual, which makes it a primary form of identification for government agencies. In a few simple steps, you can identify whether birth certificates are legitimate.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Magnifying glass

1. Search for a sample birth certificate from the state where the document originated. A good source for the most current samples of birth certificates are state vital records offices. These offices print birth, death and marriage certificates. You may be able to find older birth certificates in the special collections section of a library.
2. Find an image of the issuing state's seal to identify the legitimacy of a birth certificate. The image used by the issuing department should match the logo on the certificate exactly in size, texture and color.
3. Feel the paper a birth certificated is printed on to determine its originality. You can identify fraudulent documents by touch because most illegal documents are printed on thin, printer grade paper instead of thicker paper used by government publishers.
4. Hold birth certificates up to a lamp to find an authenticating watermark. Most governments utilize a special symbol that is invisible except when the certificate is held up to a bright light. Without the watermark, a birth certificate should be held for further inspection.
5. Use a magnifying glass to observe the level of printing quality on a birth certificate. State printing offices will destroy birth certificates that come out of printing with defects or smudges. You can find fraudulent certificates easily by finding a number of printing mistakes during your inspection.

Tips & Warnings

• Report fraudulent birth certificates to the state of origin. Since birth certificates are a vital means of identifying American citizens, your report on forged documents can help a state determine better safeguards. A good first contact for fraud reporting is the state Department of Justice.
• Review the federal government's approach to identifying birth certificates before you consider a document fraudulent. The federal government understands fraudulent documents because they issue Social Security cards and military identification. The birth certificate guide provided by the Office of the Inspector General gives you a good primer for identifying fraudulent documents (see Resources below).